NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS LIVE AND PRIMETIME COVERAGE OF THE 104th TOUR DE FRANCE BEGINNING THIS SATURDAY, JULY 1 AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC and NBCSN to Feature Live Coverage of All 21 Stages of Tour de France

Live, Commercial-Free Coverage Of Every Stage from Start to Finish and Exclusive Features Available with NBC Sports Gold ‘s “Cycling Pass”

Nightly Tour Primetime Show on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 27, 2017 – NBC Sports Group will present a record 280 hours of live, primetime, and encore coverage of the 104th Tour de France, across NBC, NBCSN, and the NBC Sports Gold app. Daily live coverage of the Tour de France, including all 21 stages, begins Saturday, July 1, at 7:30 a.m. ET with the Tour de France Pre-Race Show, followed by Stage 1 at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage continues each week night with the Tour Primetime show featuring a look at the day’s most compelling action with new analysis, interviews, and updates. Coverage culminates with the final stage on Sunday, July 23, at 10:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

The 2017 Tour de France will cover a total distance of just under 2,200 miles, and will visit 10 new sites and stage cities, including Düsseldorf, Germany, where the race kicks off. Great Britain’s Chris Froome (Team Sky) returns to defend his 2016 title and makes a run at a fourth career and third consecutive victory. His challengers include Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) of Spain, who aims for his third career Tour de France win, and Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) of Colombia, who looks for his first Tour de France title after finishing second to Froome in 2013 and 2015. Richie Porte (BMC Racing Team) of Australia and American Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) are also contenders.

Phil Liggett (play-by-play) and Paul Sherwen (analyst), the voices of cycling, will call the race action for NBC Sports Group’s coverage. The 104^th Tour de France marks Liggett and Sherwen’s 32^nd year calling the race together. Liggett and Sherwen will be joined in France by former professional cyclist and analyst Jens Voigt. Voigt won the Critérium International a record five times, and has two Tour de France stage wins. Paul Burmeister will host daily pre-race and primetime studio coverage, along with former professional cyclist and analyst Christian Vande Velde and analyst Bob Roll. Steve Schlanger and Steve Porino (‘Inside-the-Race’) will serve as reporters.
PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

NBC Sports Group will integrate several features into its coverage of this year’s Tour de France, including:

• Real-time data of course gradients;
• Vande Velde will ride to the finish line of six stages throughout the race to give fans a preview of what to expect;
• Maps that track where the riders are in real-time on the route.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage will include real time speeds of both the leaders and the peloton, and additional maps that show more detailed versions of the finishes and each mountain climb.

NBC and NBCSN will also utilize several production enhancements, including a pointer feature which will easily identify and focus on one rider in the peloton; exclusive profiles and features on teams and riders; and an onscreen predicted time for the peloton riders who are trying to catch the leading cyclists. In addition, Porino will report from Inside-the-Race, and offer real-time updates on race situations, while traveling aboard a motorcycle on the course.
DIGITAL COVERAGE

In addition to live TV coverage of the Tour de France, NBC Sports Group will once again provide extensive digital coverage of all 21 stages of the race.

NBC SPORTS GOLD: NBC Sports Gold – NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product – will present expanded coverage of the 2017 Tour de France with its 2017-18 “Cycling Pass,” offering every stage from start to finish, including more than 30 hours of exclusive HD bonus coverage, live and commercial-free, as well as the ability to pause the video. While streaming live coverage, viewers will also have access to a live GPS tracking map to follow the riders’ progress, an enhanced interactive map for each stage, full stage video replay, highlights, and short‐form video clips.

Additional elements include:

Before the Tour:

• Stage-by-stage descriptions and previews, featuring historical stage and technical information, as well as travelogue vignettes
• Breakdown of top contenders
• The best of the 2016 Tour de France

During the Tour:

• Live streaming video
• More than 30 hours of exclusive bonus HD video coverage
• Full-stage video replays including highlights, stage recaps, and rider interviews
• Route and stage previews, course and stage maps, elevation profiles, and stage descriptions
• GPS race tracking presented in three ways: a list of rider groups on the road, a live profile of the stage, and a live map of the stage
• Live stage results and detailed standings
• Rider profiles by country and team
• News feed for each stage providing minute-by-minute updates from the race, and real-time commentary feeds from media covering the Tour

The platform will host the data in easy-to-use organized tabs, including “Feed” for news, “Track” for GPS, “Standings” for rider standings in every jersey category, “Riders” for comprehensive rider information, and “More” for additional data about the Tour and NBC Sports Gold’s coverage.

NBC Sports Gold is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and online at NBCSportsGold.com.

The “Cycling Pass,” which gives fans in the U.S. access to more than 25 races from July 2017 through June 2018, can be purchased in advance of the 2017 Tour de France for $39.99 by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

NBC Sports Gold is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s new technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions.

NBC SPORTS DIGITAL SHORTS: Throughout the Tour, NBCSports.com will take viewers behind-the-scenes in a series of digital-only short-form videos to learn what it takes to cover the grueling, 21-stage race, while also highlighting the beauty of the French countryside, the passionate fans, and the knee-deep mountain mud.

In addition, NBCSports.com will feature several Ever Wonder? digital-exclusive videos voiced by Voigt throughout the Tour. The Ever Wonder? series, part of the NBC Sports Digital Shorts portfolio, explores some of the most compelling and unique facts about different aspects of the sports world and breaks them down for fans in 1-2 minute videos. Click here for Ever Wonder? videos.

NBC SPORTS GROUP SOCIAL MEDIA: Fans can keep up with the Tour de France through NBC Sports Group’s social media platforms throughout the race, including exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, interviews, video clips, up-to-date news reports and stories from around the cycling world through the NBC Sports Cycling Facebook page and @NBCSNCycling on Twitter.

NBC SPORTS GROUP’S 2017 TOUR DE FRANCE SCHEDULE (subject to change, all times ET):

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